short stories | Rosanne Parry

Many of my writing friends have graduated from MFA programs. A handful of them now teach in MFA programs around the country. I confess I have long envied their wealth of resources and regular connection to high quality lectures on all the topics that fascinate me. Alas, there are several other people in my family who need undergraduate degrees before I could consider continuing my own education. So how to grow as an artist? How to keep fresh in my reading and challenge my assumptions about craft? I have gone to many a writers’ conference over the years and found them invaluable. But at this point in my career, three books in print, one being printed currently, and more than a dozen completed manuscripts, I’m looking for maximum substance and minimal disturbance to my writing routine.

Enter the pod cast. I’ve discovered to my delight a number of podcasts that offer regular discussion of all things writerly. I like to listen to them when I’ve got a long solo road trip or when I’m cooking dinner. I’m going to list three of my favorites in the hopes that you will help me find more.

The first podcast I became aware of is The Narrative Breakdown by Cheryl Klein and James Monohan. It is a blog focused on the craft of story making through the lens of fiction editor Cheryl Klein and script and screewriter James Monohan. They really go in depth on topics from scene construction to character development to the power of irony. You can find their website here or subscribe to them through iTunes.

I have more recently found the New Yorker: Fiction which is a simple concept that is packed with good insights for the serious writer. I should say at the outset that my godparents got me a book of O. Henry’s short stories for my 10th birthday and I’ve been a fan of short stories ever since. This podcast is hosted by the editor of the New Yorker. She invites a different New Yorker story writer to choose a story from the archive and read it aloud. Then they discuss what makes the story special. Though none of the stories in the New Yorker are for children, I’ve learned a lot and broadened my scope considerably.

The third podcast I listen to regularly is more of a fan thing. I’ve been a reader of Sherman Alexie’s work for decades before he wrote for children. He’s a very engaging speaker and I’ve heard him in person a dozen times at least so when I heard he has a podcast, I subscribed immediately. The podcast is called A Tiny Sense of Accomplishment and it’s an ongoing conversation with fellow writer and small town Washington boy Jess Walters. The conversations they have range widely but are fascinating and revolve around all the various aspects of the writers life with the occasional foray into basketball and middle aged angst.

I would love to hear about your favorite podcasts in the comments.

Ten authors — some familiar, some new — use their own brand of humor to share their stories about growing up between cultures. Henry Choi Lee discovers that pretending to be a tai chi master or a sought-after wiz at math wins him friends for a while — until it comically backfires. A biracial girl is amused when her dad clears seats for his family on a crowded subway in under a minute, simply by sitting quietly between two uptight women. Edited by acclaimed author and speaker Mitali Perkins, this collection of fiction and nonfiction uses a mix of styles as diverse as their authors, from laugh-out-loud funny to wry, ironic, or poignant, in prose, poetry, and comic form.

Three things for a middle grade reader to love

1. As the editor of this collection Mitali Perkins says, “humor crosses boarders like no other literary device. Shared laughter fosters community and gets us talking about issues that might otherwise case division or discomfort.” Here are ten wonderful jumping off places for family and classroom conversation.

2. I’m delighted to see the graphic novel format represented in a short story collection and I think Gene Luen Yang has something particularly valuable to share: the experience of speaking out against a film he felt represented his race unfairly. The unexpected happy ending was an invitation to write a better story himself from Dark Horse Comics. (Hurray for my hometown comics publisher!)

3. I found the most poignant story the one Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich wrote about her own experience as a high achieving student applying for college. Perhaps because one of my children is a senior this year and is in the throes of college acceptance drama, it struck a particular chord. In some ways it is the most YA of the stories as it deals so directly with college admissions but I think the experience of high achieving minority students is fraught with this particular brand of prejudice long before senior year.

Something for myself to think about as a writer

My godparents gave me a book of short stories when I was 8 years old. I remember because it was the first “grown-up” book I’d ever received as a gift. I’ve always loved short stories and this collection made me think about why I love them so much. The truth is, the story Rhuday-Perkovich wrote about college admissions could have been a whole novel. Most high schools have that pack of kids who take AP classes and compete on the debate team and get involved in music or drama. She could have written a novel. The story Francisco X. Stork wrote about a brother and sister enfolding their younger gay-but-not-out brother in that unwise but fiercely protective love siblings have for each other, could have been a novel too. But I love the impact of the shorter form. It forces the writer to sift through a multitude of ideas and information about a character and present only the most powerful moment. Concentration. Focus.

I’ve just finished a full novel revision and am engaged in that lengthiest of ping pong games, the editorial process. I think, what ever else I accomplish in February I want to write at least a half dozen short stories, just to see what new story ideas will bubble up in this new year.